“My belief is that we are going to eventually discover that the most dramatic health benefits of humor are not in laughter, but in the cognitive and emotional management that humorous experiences provide. The experience of humor relieves emotional distress and assists in changing negative thinking patterns.”Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D.

HumorMatterstm

Christmas

Santa's Bad Day
The Birth of a Tradition

One particular Christmas season a long time ago,
Santa was getting ready for his annual trip, but there were problems everywhere. Four of
his elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the regular
ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit. This stressed Santa even
more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to
give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More stress.
Then when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards cracked, and the toy bag fell to
the ground and scattered the toys.

So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of
rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered that the elves had hidden the liquor, and
there was nothing to drink. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider pot, and
it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get
the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw end of the broom. Just then the doorbell
rang, and irritable Santa trudged to the door. He opened the door, and there was a little
angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said, very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't it a lovely
day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?"
Thus began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.